Guilty Pleasures

As a college deejay in the latter half of the '80s, I had a canon of music that I was supposed to adhere to. And for the most part, I liked that canon. The Clash, Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, Camper Van Beethoven, New Order, The Cure, De La Soul, The Dead Milkmen, Fishbone, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Joy Division, Minutemen, Pixies, The Replacements, The Smiths, X. Those are just a select few of the canon.

I wasn't supposed to like or play this.


Or this.


Or this.


I never played these artists when I was deejaying. But underneath the secrecy of my stereo headphones, they were in my listening rotation, and I enjoyed them greatly. I even loved them.

Something enjoyed that is not supposed to be enjoyed is commonly called a "guilty pleasure," whether that something is music or beer. Yet calling something a "guilty" pleasure implies that the thing enjoyed possesses no merit, or that it shouldn't be judged to possess merit. In the '80s, Duran Duran was judged by the music cognoscenti to be a shit band because they were pretty boys and MTV poster children. But even the most jaded music snobs had difficulty denying that the band's songs were complexly layered and backed by John Taylor, who eventually came to be regarded as one of the most accomplished bassists of the era. So perhaps there was some merit to the band after all.

When it comes to beer, some of us have what might be regarded as guilty pleasures, particularly when we talk about macrobrewed lagers. When I drink a macro (which is a pretty rare occasion), I prefer Rolling Rock, which I found a taste for in the '90s when it suddenly surged into prominence for reasons I'm not quite sure of. One of my favorite Hoosier Beer Geek memories from the first year of the blog is the Retro Beer Challenge, a tournament-style blind tasting of American macro lagers. Budweiser eventually prevailed in the tournament, but Rolling Rock was one of the runners-up, which made me feel vindicated in my sometime affinity for the beer.

So, two questions:

- Is it accurate to call one's liking for a macro a "guilty" pleasure? I suppose that this question relates to what Matt wrote about last month after InBev's acquisition of Goose Island. Further, I know that this question has undoubtedly been debated elsewhere. But I'd be interested to hear more thoughts on the subject. I don't necessarily think there's a wrong or right answer to the question.

- If you have a macro that you enjoy, what is it, and why do you enjoy it?

Roundtable #30 | Retro Beer Challenge | Final Round and Champion

Here we are at the final round of the Retro Beer Challenge, with three contenders for the crown: Old Style, Budweiser, and Rolling Rock. Before we announce the winner, just a few notes.

The Worst: Jim thought Miller High Life was the worst of any of the beers we drank, but I'd have to go with PBR, which we eliminated in our preliminary round at the Melody Inn. It's kind of like choosing your least favorite dictator.

The Vomit: There was none. We drank four ounce samples, and because these beers average out at around 5.0 percent alcohol volume, we were easily able to handle them. I don't recall feeling drunk at all.

Added bonus for Utah, Minnesota, and Oklahoma drinkers: Budweiser in those states is 3.2% ABV due to state laws. So not only does it taste bad, but it won't get you very drunk.

The Winner: When it came down to picking a favorite, we each chose something different. Jim liked Rolling Rock, Kelly liked Old Style, Gina liked Budweiser. In choosing the sample labeled "B", I thought I was voting for Old Style - but as it turns out, I chose Budweiser as well. Which means our winner is Budweiser. King of Beers, indeed.

Jim calls this result "a rigged, St. Louis-ian conspiracy by two members of the Roundtable", but that's not the case at all - to be honest the differences between the three finalists were so small that it was really hard to choose one. On a different day I'd be just as likely to choose Rolling Rock or Old Style. They're really that close. So if you're somewhere away from good beer, but you're still looking to drink, any of the three are fair options.



The Post-Contest Challenge: After picking our winner, we opened up a bottle of Sam Adams Boston Lager to see if there was a noticeable difference between it and the Retro Beer contestants. Not only was there a difference, the difference was amazing. Sam Adams actually tastes like beer.

Roundtable #30 | Retro Beer Challenge | Semifinal Round

We really could drag this out forever...

Because we'd already taken notes and picked out the outstanding flavors of all the contenders, all we had to do now is line them up, taste them, and pick a favorite. We were still working blind, and surprisingly enough, it was pretty easy to forget which beer was which in the process of pouring and distributing samples. We kept notes near the pouring area just to make sure.

First up: Budweiser vs. Schlitz. I think we were all kind of hoping Schlitz was going to win this matchup, if only because Schlitz is by far the crudest sounds beer name of them all, ranking above both Arrogant Bastard and Old Leghumper. But this wasn't a name contest - and Budweiser's fruity, garbagey/white wine nose and well-balanced, crisp and agreeable flavor beat out Schlitz's slightly sulfury, "like someone threw an egg into the brewkettle" yet somehow "agreeable" taste.

Budweiser moves on to the finals.



Our second semifinal matchup featured heavy-hitters Rolling Rock and Old Style. You may recall from earlier reading that Old Style featured a "faint skunkiness, with notes of water and malt and a well balanced pissiness." Rolling Rock didn't have much nose, but the taste was reminiscent of a white wine; a little fruity, and a bit tart. When put head to head, the vote was split right up the middle, with two of us voting for Old Style, and two of us voting for Rolling Rock. As a result of our indecisiveness, both Rolling Rock and Old Style advanced to the final round.



What will happen in our three way final? Can pissiness beat out tart frutiness* or garbageyness*? Can you handle the excitement? Did any of us throw up? Place your bets, leave your comments, and tune in tomorrow for our next installment of.... THE HOOSIER BEER GEEK RETRO BEER CHALLENGE.

*these words are definitely not in the dictionary

*if you're wondering about PBR, we tossed it way back here

Roundtable #30 | Retro Beer Challenge | Round 4 (St. Louis Region)

Two points before I begin--

1. I never again want to drink this much crummy beer in one sitting.

2. This Retro Beer Challenge thing was initially my idea, so I have no one to blame for my suffering but myself.

Round Four featured three beers from St. Louis. As you might imagine, they were all from Anheuser-Busch--Michelob, Budweiser, and Busch. All three had the same color (golden), but there were clear differences in nose and taste.

My fellow knights described Beer 1 as fruity, with a slight "garbagey"/white wine nose. Despite this odd combination, they agreed that the taste was "well-balanced," "crisp," and "agreeable."

Beer 2 had no nose whatsoever. The taste was described as "nothing" at worst to "seltzer water" at best.

Like Beer 2, Beer 3 had no nose. The flavor was described as having a "funky bite," though one of the other knights (I can't recall who) said that this beer reminded him/her of strawberries.

Beer 1--Budweiser--prevailed in this round. All of us except Kelly picked Busch (Beer 2) as our #2 pick, followed by Michelob (Beer 3).

The so-called King of Beers moved on to the semi-finals to take on everyone's choice as the dark horse, Schlitz.

Roundtable # 30 - Retro Beer Challenge - Round 3 (Great Lakes Region)

The third round of the Retro Beer Challenge featured beers from the upper Great Lakes region: Schlitz, Miller High Life, and Stroh's. (Damn you, plethora of Wisconsin brews screwing up our brackets!) There was very little difference in these three as they were poured -- the tasting produced the following notes:

Beer #1 smelled "like a hair salon", burnt and plasticky, and tasted slightly malty with not much of a hop bite.

There "wasn't much going on" with Beer #2; it smelled slightly sulfury, "like someone threw an egg into the brewkettle". An "agreeable" beer, Jim noted that he finished his sample -- a rarity on this day.

Beer #3 smelled "like someone has dogs in their house", and tasted "like cat poo". Flat and vinegary, this one was panned.

We were split on the rankings for this beer; we all picked Schlitz to move on to the second round, and Miller High Life and Stroh's tied for second place. Fitting, since adorning our table was a vintage Schlitz pitcher that Gina got from her parents.

Speaking of Schlitz, a look at their website shows that they're still using the marketing slogan "Go for the Gusto". Any of our dear readers want to explain just what the hell that means?

Roundtable # 30 - Retro Beer Challenge - Round 2 (Wisconsin Region)

As we sat down to sample all 12 of the Retro Beer Challengers, I think the realization hit us all at about the same time: "Oh god, I've got to drink all of these." While this statement was probably said in ecstasy by my neighbor, who inherited the leftovers, there was only regret in the minds of the participating Knights.

I don't want to knock anyone who drinks this stuff regularly - it's pretty much an American tradition to drink this kind of beer. But once you've gone on to something better, there's really no turning back. You've got to trust us on this - this stuff really isn't good. If you don't believe us, come on out to a roundtable some time - we can prove it in two drinks. I'll even buy.



Round Two featured three beers from Wisconsin - Old Style, Old Milwaukee, and Blatz. You might think that these beers are easy to find, but it took trips to multiple liquor stores to find them. Blatz and Schlitz (which is featured in an upcoming round) could only be found in 24 pack cases, and when we brought the beer to the counter at PartyPak Liquors, the clerk said "I didn't know we had this." Such is the grip that Bud/Miller/Coors has on the local liquor scene. Or maybe it's just lack of demand - we saw Dogfish Head products more often than anything from the Pabst family (click on "Our Beers" to see the expansive selection).

All three of these beers looked exactly the same, but there were differences in taste.

Beer 1 was described as malty, soapy, and bitter. Kelly noted "this reminds me of high school - shitty beer drank in a corn field."

Beer 2 had a bizzare smell - skunk and/or vinegar. It was described as bitter and flat.

Beer 3 had a faint skunkiness, with notes of water and malt. It wasn't as offensive as the others, and had a "well balanced pissiness."

As you can probably figure, beer 3 (Old Style) advanced to the next round, with beer 1 (Old Milwaukee) narrowly beating beer 2 (Blatz) in score.

And so, the Cub beer moves on. There you go, Cubs fans! That's what a win looks like!

Ok, low blow.

Roundtable # 30 - Retro Beer Challenge - Round 1 (Colo/Penn Region)

Knights Jim and Kelly were east bound and down to do the remaining rounds of the Retro Beer Showdown at our place on Saturday afternoon. The winner would be selected from a group of 12 divided into 4 geographical regions. Each of the 4 Knights present poured for a region while one of the others wrote about what everyone said.

Mike poured the beers and I took the notes for the first group which included beers from Pennsylvania and Colorado. The three competing for dominance in this bracket were (in no particular order) Coors, Iron City, and Rolling Rock. While all three were very similar in color, they offered a variety of smells and tastes.

Beer #1 smelled like "the Mel in Daylight", but wasn't necessarily offensive in taste.
Beer #2 didn't have much nose, but the taste was reminiscent of a white wine; a little fruity, and a bit tart.
Beer #3 was odorless, watery and boring. It offered nothing and was unanimously dismissed.

We were also unanimous in order selection for this group:

Rolling Rock (Beer #2) was selected to move to the next round,
Iron City (Beer #1) came in second,
Coors (Beer #3) was last. If only the Bandit knew what he was going after...

It's back! The Retro Beer Challenge

After completing the first leg of our Retro Beer Challenge we came to the realization that we really didn't want to drag out drinking crap beer, so this weekend we'll be tackling the rest of the field using the same format:

The Retro Beer Challenge is a different kind of beer tasting - a tasting of the common beer heavy hitters. We did this tasting blind, because this is a contest. We'll be reviewing all the "regular" beer we can get our hands on, in a tournament bracket format to find out which readily available beer lives up to the true title of Blue Ribbon winner - who is the real King of Beers?

In our first round we reviewed Budweiser, Rolling Rock, and Pabst Blue Ribbon, with Budweiser and Rolling Rock moving on to round two. This weekend's prospective list contains Old Milwaukee, Strohs, Busch, Hamms, Coors, Schlitz, Schaefer, Miller High Life, Michelob, Olympia, and possibly Blatz. You can't imagine our excitement.

We want to make sure we cover all the bases - with the exception of the light versions of the beers above - so if you've got any suggestions or notice anything we've left off, please let us know. We're only doing this once.

And hopefully we'll live through the experience.

KOTBR #26 - Retro Beer Challenge Round One - Final Tally and Results

First off, just in case you're new to this blog - I don't want to scare anyone away. Reviewing beers like Budweiser is not what we normally do. This is a one off project.

As I explained in an earlier post, the Retro Beer Challenge is a tasting of the common beer heavy hitters. Over the course of the next couple months we'll be reviewing all the "regular" beer we can get our hands on, in a tournament bracket sort of format to find out which readily available beer is the real king of common beer.

And now, on to the beer.

I'm sure you're dying to know what beers A, B, and C are. Here we go:

Beer A: Mike - 3, Jim - 2, Gina - 3, Kelly - 2, Total: 10 points - Budweiser
Beer B: Mike - 2, Jim - 3, Gina - 2, Kelly - 3, Total: 10 points - Rolling Rock
Beer C: Mike - 1, Jim - 1, Gina - 1, Kelly - 1, Total: 4 points - Pabst Blue Ribbon

By the rules of the competition, Budweiser and Rolling Rock move on to the next round, and PBR gets tossed. I don't know if the results were a surprise to us; I guess we thought that PBR, being the hipster cheap beer of choice, might have a better showing.

This is only round one of the challenge, and we've got a lot of bad beer to go - Do you have any early favorites? What do you think of the current results? Any surprises for Hoosier Beer Geek readers?

KOTBR #26 - The Retro Beer Challenge Round One (Kelly's Review)

I have such a soft spot in my heart for the Melody Inn. I really do. Everything from the driftwood chandelier, to the excellent graffiti in the restrooms, to the floor that is perfect for roller skating, to the three-layers-deep bumper sticker collection on the cooler, to the ever-lovable Dave behind the counter, to their unwavering support of local music, gives me a fuzzy feeling inside (though I'd never admit it on Punk Rock Night!) If you've never been here, you should give it a try.

Round One of the Retro Beer Challenge found us pulling up a booth at the Mel long before most regulars settle in for the night -- it was a bit disconcerting to see sunlight streaming in through the front window, since this is definitely a watering hole for night owls.

With the help of our esteemed groupie Matt, we conducted the tasting in short order. Jim, Mike and Gina have already posted their findings, so I'll bring up the rear:

Beer A: basic "beer yellow" light golden color. More of a fruity, sweet nose than I was expecting; almost cotton-candy-like with a very carbonated, 'poppy' taste. A pleasantly surprising beer that I could see myself drinking when it was very hot outside (we were drinking these nearly ice cold). 2 mugs.

Beer B: No difference in color at all. Hardly any nose to speak of, and what was there was sort of a musky, grassy scent. A bit hoppier, it seemed to have a more balanced taste and a cleaner finish than the first one. 3 mugs.

Beer C: Same color. No nose at all, save for a faint smell of gym socks. The most watery of the three, almost sour. I think I made the Mr Yuk Poison Control face on this one. .75 mugs.

Final Rankings:

Beer B - 3 points
Beer A - 2 points
Beer C - 1 point

KOTBR #26 - The Retro Beer Challenge Round One (Gina's Review)

As Jim and Mike previously stated, we did this first round of the Retro Beer Challenge at the Melody Inn.

Beer A - This one smelled like bananas and had a banana peel aftertaste. 1.5 mugs.

Beer B - This one reminded me of a car mechanic's garage. The smell was part mildew, part motor oil. The taste was initially smoother than Beer A and I thought I would like it better, but I ended up drinking only half of my sample. 1.25 mugs.

Beer C - This one was icky. Plain and simple. 0 mugs.

I was surprised at just how varied the tastes and smells were of each beer, and this challenge was really quite interesting.

My final rankings:

Beer A - 3 points
Beer B - 2 points
Beer C - 1 point

KOTBR #26 - The Retro Beer Challenge Round One (Jim's Review)

Since Mike has already set the stage, I'll cut to the chase (gee, I'm full of clichés):

Beer A - Classic American lager color (i.e., yellow-gold). Sugary nose with slight floral notes. Upon first sip, I think, "Wow, this isn't so bad." Crisp, refreshing, slight hop presence. Definitely drinkable, though I'd be scared to find out what it tastes like when warmer. Nonetheless, I wouldn't turn away this beer if offered at a summer function, such as a barbecue. 2.25 mugs.

Beer B - Same color as Beer A (as was Beer C, so I'll dispense with the color thing right here to avoid repetition). Weird nose. Smells faintly like a sweaty sock. Not noisome, but definitely not as nice as the nose on Beer A. I expect a taste that follows suit, but I am surprised. The flavor ends up being fairly pleasant. Has the classic mega-brewed lager taste, but there's extra hop presence here. A little more bitter and certainly fruitier on the tongue than Beer A. Better than Beer A, but not considerably better. 2.75 mugs.

Beer C - Very little nose on this one. Faint, hard to tell what the flavor will be like. Then comes the first sip. Ew. Watery, no character. All I can think of is blandness. Reminds me of this awful crap called Rhinelander that some friends in college used to drink because it was $3.99 for a case of longnecks. For me, this is definitely the worst of the three. I'm feeling charitable, though, when it comes to a rating. 0.5 mugs.

My final rankings:

Beer B - 3 points
Beer A - 2 points
Beer C - 1 point

Stay tuned, as the names of the beers will be revealed after Kelly and Gina post their reviews.

Postscript - Afterward, Mike, Gina, and I head to Deano's for a few quality pints. Jason, who missed us at the Mel, meets up with us. DJ Brian Jones is ruling the turntables with his '80's New Wave shtick. I'm having pleasant flashbacks to my college DJ'ing days until Brian spins Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night." Apparently, someone else requested the song. Bartender Nick reads Brian the riot act and says some rude things about the requesters. I groan but have to admit that Lauper's ballad "Time After Time" is definitely palatable (someone else agrees--I think it's Jason). Eventually, I head out the door with the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" filling my ears. The song serves as a good antidote to the dreck that is the earlier Lauper tune.

Upon arriving home, I catch some of the MLS Super Clasico. I get to see Beckham reaggravate his ankle injury, get kicked in the chest by MLS super-hack Jesse Marsch, and spend the rest of the match limping around because his idiot coach won't take him out. I mean, he only just flew back from Old Blighty after playing 93 minutes for England the day before. Beckham plays the whole game, but the Galaxy pathetically lose 3-0 and are all but done in the MLS Playoff race. Boy, do the Galaxy suck. I don't think Beckham regrets coming to MLS, but I think he probably wishes he could play for another team. Club GM Alexi Lalas, who put together the current bunch of Galaxy footballers, looks to be on his way out the door in the very near future.

And I learned one more thing--it's not wise to eat vegetarian buffalo-wing style soy nuggets at 11:45 p.m., especially after drinking several beers.

Random summary of beer

I recognize that I'm not so good about posting much anymore. When work and school doesn't have my attention, it goes to my family. And rightfully so. But I still love beer, and bringing you news about good beer. I have to apologize to my fellow Knights for not being so prompt on stuff these days.

So this is my summary of what should be several different posts.

1. Muncie rocked. We had a great time hanging out with our friends on the Good Beer Show. We're show #128, which I'm guessing will go up sometime this week. We drank a lot of high ABV beers, none of which I thought were bad. Mike told you what they are in his post. The Fickle Peach and the Heorot are both cool, and you have to check em out. Thanks Jeffrey T., Traci and the Gang! And thanks Mike for driving home!

2. I'm not too sad that I didn't get to participate in the Retro Beer Challenge Round 1. Although, Rolling Rock was the very first beer that I liked enough to finish. 11 years ago - how's that for retro? How sad is that? Dos Equis was the 2nd. Thanks Old Latrobe, PA!

3. BadaBoomz has almost free valet parking now. It's free if your bill is $30 or more. Otherwise, it's only $2. Thanks Mike!

4. Deano's is hosting Brat-toberfest on Saturday, September 15th. Music, beer, brats. What more could you ask for? Oh, yeah, we'll be there, too. On a side note, I've now hung out a Deano's the last two Friday nights, and I've just come to re-appreciate what good shits they are there. Thanks Deano, Jody, Nick, Laura, and Michelle!!

5. The Hop Shop has Bell's Batch 8000 in six packs for $13.49, Two Brothers Heliocentric Bragot in a 22oz. for $6.49, and Upland Lambics in 750 mLs for $14.99. If you don't know, The Hop Shop also has free beer tastings every Saturday until 8pm. Thanks Courtney!

6. When Jason and I were in Chicago on Monday for a Cubs vs. Cardinals, White Sox vs. Royals double header, we first stopped at this fantastic beer store in Wrigleyville. It was awesome! My favorite purchase was something I can't get in Indiana, but is one my new top three favorite beers in the whole world - Racer 5 IPA by Bear Republic in Healdsburg, CA. I bought a lot of beer. So did Jason. We now have a lot of beer. Thanks Binny's and Bear Republic!

7. My very favorite beer of all-time is the Optimator. Thanks Spaten!

I think that's all for now.

KOTBR #26 - The Retro Beer Challenge Round One (Mike's Review)

Last night four of the six Knights of the Beer Roundtable converged at Indianapolis' legendary Melody Inn for round one of a different kind of beer tasting - a tasting of the common beer heavy hitters. We did this tasting blind, because this is a contest. Over the course of the next couple months we'll be reviewing all the "regular" beer we can get our hands on, in a tournament bracket sort of format to find out which readily available beer lives up to the true title of Blue Ribbon winner - who is the real King of Beers?

All the beers were served cold, in clear plastic cups.

In cup "A" we had a lager, with a clear, lemonade-like appearance, and a bit of lacing. It had a sweet nose, and a extremely light and agreeable taste, with hints of rubber (I actually get this with a lot of light beers and don't consider it a bad thing - I'm not sure what it is I'm picking up, but I suspect it's a characteristic of the malt). Not a bad start to the night. A perfectly reasonable beer. 2.0 points.

In cup "B" we had a beer that looked exactly like the first, but with a slightly "off" nose that reminded me of Fat Tire. It tasted pretty much exactly like cup "A", but the nose caused a slight deduction in points. I gave this one 1.75 points.

Cup "C" was a different beast than the first two. A bar-room-floor-like nose gave way to a flavor not too much unlike the others. But this beer seemed to have more "front" to it, and was slightly bitter. Not IPA bitter, just a hint. I gave it 1.0 points.

After drinking all three we reweighed the ratings, giving 3 points to our favorite, 2 to our second, and 1 to our least favorite. Here's my final rankings:

Cup A - 3 points
Cup B - 2 points
Cup C - 1 point

All in all, the beers weren't nearly as horrible as we expected. We're not revealing the beers just yet - that will come with the final Knight's review. But in the meantime, you're welcome to take guesses. Stay tuned...

If we have any readers that can get us some Yuengling ... please drop us an email or leave a comment. It's my understanding that Yuengling is one of the cheap beers of choice on the east coast. If you have any other suggestions for the Retro Beer Challenge, please leave a comment. Thanks.